How?
by Dark1992
Summary: What if Erik didnt suffer in the concentration camp alone? What if he made a friendship with someone? And what will happen when they meet again years ago, onnly now as complete strangers and what does Charles have to do with this?
1. Chapter 1

AN: Don´t own anything. We all know the story, there was Erik and Charles, but what if there was somebody else? Could this onne person change the path of them all?

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"Kity, wake up, please! Don't leave, I cant survive her without you." Cried the little boy desperately.

"Please, you promised that you will stay with me, that Schmidt wont win, fight! Fight for us! Please!" he continued desperately shaking with the little body of his friend. Tears soaking his filthy clothes making them stick on his skinny body.

He didn't know what would he do if she wouldn't wake up. When Schmidt killed his mother it was Kity who held him in the night, whispering words of comfort in his ear. She was the only thing that kept him sane and able to go through the ordeals of Schmidt every day. He couldn't lose her.

"Er…ik" came the barely audible whisper from her lips. And at the moment the little boy felt so happy that e almost forgot where they were.

"Kity! No don't move, just lay, you don't know how happy I am to hear your voice I was so worried about you. You didn't move." Erik couldn't help himself feeling fresh tears burning in his eyes.

"I am ok Erik, you see. Don't worry." Said his little friend and with all her strength she pushed him in a tight embrace.

"You see everything is okay." She smiled and managed to pull a cracked smile from her protector too.

_15 years later_

"Charles! What is wrong with you? Are you trying to kill yourself? And you! Put the guns down in a minute!" Oh, how Kity was pissed at the moment. The only person that she had in this world almost killed himself trying to bring some guy from the cold water. Seriously, he wasn't right, knowing that he didn't how to swim, Kity was becoming angrier every minute.

"Kity, clam down. I am okay, you see, nothing happened. An I would like to introduce you to my new friend Erik." Charles shivered at the cold air but managed to still hold onto good manners, as always, Kity thought.

"I really don't care who is it. You have to come inside, you have to change your clothes or you will be ill. You know very well that you get ill easily." She said not even looking at the man who was standing next to Charles. That idiot almost cost her the only person she had left in this world, Charles couldn't expect her to be nice to him. If he likes to swim in the icy water its his problem, but she want allow him to put Charles in danger again.

"Kity?" Suddenly spoke the unfamiliar voice. She diverted her eyes from Charles to the other man and gasped at the intense stare he was giving her. There was something familiar about him, as if she had met him in the past… Could it be him? No it wasn't possible! But when the guy started to roll up his left sleeve, she couldn't help but do the same. And then, she saw the number: 214782, she knew that she was right. The ancient friend she thought long to be dead was alive, right in front of her. She traced her fingers along the numbers on his arm that were burned in her very soul.

"How?" Was all she managed to say before the reality stroked her and she withdraw her hand.

"So Charlie, lets get you inside and you too, Erik. Right?" She smiled nervously, trying to hide how this meeting shaken her. But by the look in Charles eyes she knew that she had a lot of explaining to do. That she didn't fool him at all…

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AN: Let me know what you think!:)


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Don´t own anything. Thank you so much for your support! :)

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She didn't know what to think. Was it really him? The number on his hand couldn't be fake and even when she entered his mind she could find the memories of camp, Schmidt and her. But he didn't seem the same as when he was a boy. He was now a cold, hard man quite guarded with them eyes searching for possibility of escape if needed. No, except the tattoo on his arm he had nothing to do with the memory of the young boy she cherished so much.

So even when warming Charles and searching for extra clothes she kept an eye on him. She wouldn't anyone let ruin the small heaven she had with Charles, not even Erik. If he would want to hurt Charles she would kill him, old friend or not, right now he was a stranger she knew nothing about and she certainly wasn't so easily trusting as Charles. She learned the hard way never to trust anyone completely, the only exception being the small man with chestnut hair currently buttoning up his shirt.

"So I trust that you two know each other already. From Auschwitz I presume?" Charles smiled warmly to both of them, obviously waiting for some explanation from her since he could read only Erik´s thoughts.

"Yes, we used to be in the same cell." She replied not sure what else to say. Charles already knew everything about her time in concentration camp, and the years following the war before she found herself in his estate. She let him look in her mind freely the very first night he found her under the old oak on the grounds of mansion. At the time she actually didn't have a choice since she didn't know how to protect herself, gaining only mere months before the telepathy from touching the Schmidt´s blond bitch.

"So I believe you two would like some time alone. I will check with Moira." Charles announced and left immediately and Kity wasn't sure if she should thank him or not, because she had absolutely no idea what talk about with Erik. She had so much that she would like to tell him, she wanted to tell him how happy she was that he was alive that he survived. But at the same time she wasn't sure how she felt about it. The fact that he survived and chose to let her think that Yoshimoto killed him, that he didn't came to rescue her, although he swore to always protect her. That meant that he stopped to think about her as s friend long time ago and she should do the same.

Nevertheless when the silence started to be uncomfortable, she decided to at least talk to him. After all, Charles was obviously quite intrigued with Erik and wouldn't be happy if she wouldn´t at least try to be civil with him.

"So, you are alive." She said slowly. Feeling like an idiot stating the obvious.

"Umm, yes. Last time I checked I was quite alright." He half smiled baring his teeth like a shark.

"How?" Was all she was able to ask, feeling her anger rising.

"When they took you and disappeared. A girl named Sara found me and helped me. I stayed in her home for about two months. And then…" Erik trailed of, seeing Kity´s expression now clearly showing her anger.

"And you didn't think that I would like to know that the only person I had in world didn't die because of me? Do you know how I felt? All the time when I was locked in that damn place, when I wasn't tied up to in the lab I was consumed to with thoughts and nightmares that because of me my only friend was shoot, that YOU died because of me! Have you the slightest idea how it felt? I topped blame myself only after I met Charles. And all that for nothing, because all that time you were out there, not caring in the slightest about me, about the girl that you claimed to be your best friend, the girl that you swore to protect forever. Did I really mean that little to you, that you broke all your promises the minute we got out of the camp?" A single tear treacherously making way from Kity´s left eye, she didn't know why she was suddenly so emotional, she rarely wept if at all, ever since Charles helped her develop her abilities she always had her emotions under control, so why was she now being a mess?

"It wasn't like this. I wanted to find you as soon as I would be able to walk again. I really wanted, but then I realized, that there were so many enemies out there, Schmidt, and all the Nazis who escaped. I needed to take care of them first, to make them pay for what they did to us, to my mother, to you. Then, once all finished I would come and find you. I am sorry if you suffered because you thought that I died but I am not sorry that I left you because it was necessary…" He probably wanted to say something else but Kity didn't give him a chance. She was too angry to let him continue.

"Are you serious? Do you even hear what are you saying? You left me because of your pathetic need for revenge? And you are trying to justify it by the poor argument that you would find me once you killed all persons that hurt you? Do you what are you saying? And what if I died when you were taking a justice in your hands? What if Yoshimoto killed me?" Kity was now standing dangerously near Erik, poking in his chest with her finger, anger radiating from her in waves. Irritating Erik beyond reason. He had heard enough, he wouldn't let her to yell at him for something that he well knew couldn't happen.

"Please, don't be hysterical, we both know, that it wouldn't happen because of your healing factor. You heal from everything; I well remember the night Schmidt took it too far. You weren't breathing, I couldn't even feel your pulse, you were dead and then suddenly you were okay as if nothing happened, even your bruises disappeared like by some sort of magic. Hell, look at you. You are 27 and you look like an 18 year old girl and you will probably stay like this forever. No, if there is something that I am not concerned about it is your life. And looking at your boyfriend and the nice ship and CIA agents you certainly don't look like you are suffering." Erik growled and pushed her against the wall, pinning her hands to both her sides.

"You are right Erik, death doesn't concern me, but you of all people should know that there are things much worse than death and nothing protected me from them. As for Charles I won´t honor that with an answer. " She whispered quietly and then pushed him away with force he didn't know she had and quickly left the room.

Erik wanted to follow her but thought better not to. She was now certainly in arms of that Charles guy and he wasn't the one to discuss his personal problems in front of people he knew nothing about. So he rather stayed in room and thought about what just happened.

He was so angry when Charles made him abandon his desperate attempt to stop Schmidt although he knew that the man was right, that he would die trying. And then he saw Kity and for a brief moment all his anger vanished. He once felt the joy like when they were in camp and she would hug him and tell him that everything will be okay. But then he reminded himself that they weren't children anymore and he started to observe her. She was now around 27 if he remembered correctly but didn't look for more than 18, he blamed that on her healing factor (Schmidt mentioned once that she could actually be immortal) other than that she was still way too skinny for his liking but he could see the muscles moving under the creamy skin, her abdomen shoving any sign of fat. He was pleased to see that she didn't slacken after getting out of camp. He regretted now that he told her that he didn't regret leaving her, it was a pure lie. Every night of his crusade he dreamt about her, and regretted deeply that she was the one who had to suffer from this. It was the last thing he wanted. But he knew that having the chance to do things differently he wouldn't change anything. He had to make a justice for her mother and he wouldn't abandon his goal for anybody, not even for Kity.

But what to do now? He was half tempted to open the window and just disappear in the dark water but the Charles guy draw his interest. Up today he thought that himself and Kity were the only ones and now, when he found that there were others like them he was too curious to just leave. Besides, it took him whole year to localize Schmidt and he wasn't sure that he could find him again, alone. So he decided stay for a time being.

"You have finished already? I thought that I won´t see you until tomorrow. It s the Erik from camp, the one you thought to be dead, isn't it?" Charles asked, obviously surprised to see Kity mere hour after he left them. But seeing her face he didn't have to be telepath to understand that the reunion with her lost friend didn't go well.

"Yeah, well I told him everything I wanted so there was no point to stay there." She shuddered and took a seat beside him on the couch.

"And where is our new friend?"

"As if I care. Probably still in the room I left him." She replied, her voice little edgy.

"How very nice of you. You want to talk about it or are we going pretend that nothing happened?" Charles asked, amused by her childless behavior.

"Why don't you find it from my head by yourself? We both know that my shields are nothing against you…. You know, it´s all your fault! You and your stupid Samaritan complex! If you hadn't pulled him from that damn see everything would be okay!" She knew that she shouldn't take out her anger on Charles, but she just couldn't help herself. She needed to let it out and knew that Charles knew it too. So she continued to yell until it seemed crazy to continue and was pulled into a warm hug by a pair of ridiculously soft hands. She was just inhaling Charles´s cologne when there was a quite cough on the door.

"Sorry, am I interrupting something?" And there was Erik again his centered on Charles´s arms around her.

"As a matter of fact, you…" Kity started to answer him, planning to tell him to get the hell out of the room but was interrupted by Charles.

"Of course not! Do come in my friend." He beamed happily and all Kity could do was to shut her mouth and let go of the hug.

"I am going to sleep." She announced lazily to Charles ignoring completely Erik´s presence.

"Already? I hoped you would stay with us a little." Charles said unhappily.

"I am sorry but today was quite eventful and I am really tired. You are however welcomed to come and give me a goodnight kiss." She winked at him playfully, not missing the murderous look Erik was giving her at the moment. What the hell is his problem?

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AN: Let me know what you think!:)


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Don´t own anything. I am sorry that it took me so long but with the Chistmass and everything it was jusr crazy:P**

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Erik didn't know what was wrong with him. This whole day was kind of surreal. First he found himself being pull out from the water by this ridiculously girly looking telepath, than he met his one and only true friend whose memory he cherished in his mind all those years, than his private conversation with her went completely differently from what he expected, Kity not being at all happy to see that he was alive and well, than interrupting the private moment she had with the telepath-certainly her lover (for what he wasn't sorry at all) and than having to listen to their flirtations to found himself being sat against the man whose face he would love to punch right now. And as if it wasn't enough, the man being a telepath so he probably heard his every thought, so much for him helping Erik track Shaw once again, damn.

But the man, Charles or something like that, Erik wasn't sure, just smiled warmly with no intention to call the security to threw Erik back in the sea.

"We are not lovers, just so you know. I consider Kity as my sister and I am sure it is the same for her." Charles smiled warmly and Erik found himself blushing (it was the fault of the heater certainly) at his comment.

"And why do you think I care?" He tried to scowl but failed miserably.

"My friend, don't try humor me." Charles answered, the corners of his mouth twitching.

…

"Shaw has friends, you could use some too. I won´t stop you leaving, could, but I won´t. But know one thing, if you leave now, she will never forgive you."

"As if she was the main thing in my life. I have to do this." Erik answered coldly and turned to leave once again.

"You can lie to her but don't lie to yourself." And then, when Erik turned once again to sneer something mean to the annoying telepath but he was already gone and Erik was standing there, all alone. He turned to finally leave, but stopped immediately, Charles was right, if he left now, there was not coming back, at least not to Kity, and Erik wasn't sure he would be able to accept that just now. Yes, she treated him horribly, making sure that they were never alone, but it didn't suppress his happiness from being near her, in some ways she changed so much and in the others she was still that little girl he swore to protect in the camps. Being with her did bring many memories, painful ones, but the most beautiful memories he had. How they were cuddled together under the thin blanket, how his mother smiled, how kind she was to Kity in the briefs moment they were allowed to spend together…

These thoughts were dangerous, Erik knew that very well, he ought to leave immediately, because if he didn't, he might will not be able to do it after.

But there was also the Charles guy and Erik found himself quite intrigued by the young telepath, his mutation so powerful, the man could control them all, if he  
wanted, but was too moral to even consider that possibility. But morals could be changed, Erik knew that better than everyone. And since he also promised to help Erik find Shaw, it was completely rational and wise thing to stay here and not eave, at least until the affair with Shaw was finished.

…

"Such an adorable lab rat you make Charles." Erik smirked, trying to cover his uneasiness from seeing the man he has grown quite fond of being tied up in that damn machine.

But the man seemed so happy an calm about it that Erik didn't have the hearth to spoil it for him, there was someone entirely else for this. Charles, Hank and himself were currently under the murderous gaze of none other than the indestructible girl herself. She looked like she was planning to kidnap Charles in every second.

"If you don't calm yourself the room will probably explode in next second." Erik joked, not being able to stop himself.

"I don't recall asking you any suggestions, so in the future I would appreciate if you would keep your mouth shut." Kity replied coldly shooting him a hateful look, which succeeded to heat up his own mood, he wasn't about to let her freely march on his head, he had enough of this already.

"And what if I don't?" He asked mockingly.

"Then I will make you." She replied matter of factly.

"And how would you like to do that?" He asked and tucked a little at her watches, earning an startled yelp from her.

Bu before she could launch herself at him or react in any way, they were interrupted by the movement around the machine and Charles´s happy exclamation that it "worked".

"It was wonderful! Erik there are so many more of us! Kity we have to go and find them, it will be wonderful!" Charles beamed happily at them, seemingly oblivious at their tension.

"Get packed, we will leave tomorrow. Erik, you will love the first one, she is a stripper and have wings!" Charles continued babbling but was suddenly cut off by his "sister".

"Wait! He is coming too? You can´t be serious Charles! We can´t trust him!" Kity exclaimed angrily eying him.

"Kity calm down, we have talked about it already…" Charles obviously wanted to say something else but was once again interrupted.

"I am not coming! You hear me? If HE is coming than I am not." She yelled and eyed Charles provocatively.

"Fine you stay here. Since you are behaving like a teenager it will be better anyway. This is the serious thing, I don't need your childish behavior." Charles shrugged and turned to leave, gesturing to Erik to follow him.

Judging the look on Kity´s face, this certainly wasn't the answer she expected. And Erik rejoiced in his small victory, suddenly finding that making Kity angry was far more fun than trying to win her favor.

**Kity**

She had to be dreaming! Charles chose Erik over her! He chose the man he barely knew above her, so long they have been like real siblings, Charles knew well what Erik and his betrayal meant to her, how broken she was when she saw the bullet hit him. And still he took him in, offered him help with tracking Shaw… All that knowing damn well that all she wanted was for Erik to leave, forever preferably. But Charles was so intrigued with him, nothing mattered anymore, only Erik and his damn opinion. As if the man had patent on everything.

And now, they were going to that damn trip together all alone and she will be struck here playing a babysitter or the new coming mutants..Joy.

…

"And what can you do?" asked her the blond guy, Alex, who was desperately trying to seduce her for last 30 minutes. How wonderful, what had she done to deserve this? She rarely saw Charles for the last month, not alone spoke to him. After he threw the new found mutants in her care he disappeared with Erik and that annoying Moira to Russia to catch Shaw, once again leaving her, saying it was too dangerous for her to come, which was the most ridiculous thing she ever heard from him, considering her healing ability, she was the most equipped to fight Shaw from them all. But of course, Charles thought that Erik would be too distracted if she came and apparently Erik being okay was now the main issue of them all. Charles had to hit his head somewhere either way he couldn't be acting the way he was since that night on the boat.

"You are here with me?" Alex asked, concern shining in his eyes, how pathetic.

"Yes, sorry just lost in my thoughts. What did you ask?" She quickly answered, pulling her most flirtatious smile on. Why the hell no, since she was stuck here, she could as well entertain herself a little.

"I asked what can you do, every one already showed their mutations except you…" He trailed of uncertainly, as if afraid of her reaction and quick peek in his head confirmed her assumptions.

"Well, it wouldn't be fair if I didn't present myself would it? So let´s get over with. Charge against me." She said and got up to prepare herself for the impact.

"What? No you can´t be serious! You didn't see what can I do? I don't want to hurt you." He babbled and tried to get away from her, but found himself unable to. "What the hell is happening?" He yelped.

"I am sorry that we have to do it this way but I am not really in the mood for a long talking and persuading so…" Kity trailed of, trying to look at least a little bit sorry. She made Alex charge against her, his body responding without the slightest objection, and then the blast was hit her, it was far more painful then she expected, making her control over Alex slipping away. She fell on the floor, big hole in her midsection, the fuck! Maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all. The hell, how long her damn body will take to heal that? Quick, please. Either way the group of young mutants gathered around her will probably start weep and she didn't have to be there for this. Thank you very much.

And then she finally felt her body being once again sensible, so she quickly got up to prove that she was okay, earning shocked gasps from everyone in the room.

"So, this is my ability, you see, I have a quite extensive healing factor." She said proudly, enjoying the admiring looks from everyone.

"How extensive?" Asked the scientist, Hank, or Beast like Alex called him.

"I am almost thirty."

"What? No way! And Alex has a crush on you! It´s gross!" The one called Sean exclaimed.

Kity wanted to answer him, but got interrupted by a loud explosion somewhere in the building and the fight outside. Ah no! She knew that teleporter, and if he was here, that meant only one thing, that his master wasn't far away. And right she was, there was the one called Janos and Shaw suddenly standing in the main door. The whole group together, except the telepathic bitch.

Kity couldn't help herself but found the whole situation funny. Charles and the others left for Russia to catch the man and he just came here, funny really, for the first time someone actually outsmarted Charles.

"Ah Kity, dear. I am so glad to see you here, you didn't change a bit since the last time I saw you. I was hoping to find your brother here too but you will have to be enough. Besides I am sure that you certainly practiced your telepathy since we last met. Oh, don't look so surprised, you didn't honestly thought that I didn't notice it? Poor Emma had nightmares for weeks after, saying that you almost sucked her soul of. So there the terms, you come with me freely, and I won´t hurt anyone here, they are of course welcomed to come with us but if they don't want to I will not force them. And you of all people should know that I keep my promises." Shaw winked at her playfully and confidently took in the remains of the room.

"And if I don't want to?" She asked, trying to gain some time to come up with some incredibly intelligent idea how to save the situation, but founding none.

"Then they will pay the price. And we are starting with this one." Shaw said, took the black guy called Darwin and before Kity could react, all that remained from the guy were ashes.

Shaw smiled at her with challenging look, but suddenly a shocked expression passed on his face and he gestured to his two companions to come closer.

"This isn't over, we will meet again." Were his last words before the three of them disappeared in the black smoke, leaving Kity and the rest to themselves.

"What happened?" Came the low baritone just few minutest after from where the big glass wall used to be and then Kity found herself wrapped in the tight hug, Charles smaller body pressed against her.

_Are you okay? _He asked mentally but all she could do was to nod frantically.

"Ddddarwin…I am sssory," she tried to say but her voice not working properly.

"Shhh, It´s okay, I am here now," Charles whispered in her ear and started to soothing her hair.

"Is she okay?" The same baritone from earlier asked and she felt the second pair of hands on her. She wanted to say Erik not to touch her, to push him away but found herself unable to. So much for her being the Holocaust survivor who already saw every evil in the world and couldn't be moved by anything. What happened to her? She saw many deaths in her life and caused at least the half of them willingly or not, so why was she suddenly so out of line by a single death of someone who she barely knew? Maybe Erik was right, maybe she got too soft too used of being taken care of, living a simple, peaceful life with Charles.

She would like to think that he was wrong, after all she worked every day hard to maintain herself in good shape and improved her fighting techniques to perfection but true to be told it was years since she actually had to use them in real life.

"What are we going to do? We don't have anywhere to go." Somebody, probably Hank asked and everybody stilled uncomfortably.

"Yes, we do." As always, it was Charles who solved everything, Kity secretly smiled burying her face deep in his coat. How typical.

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**AN: Let me know what you think!:)**


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